Once Upon A Surf

Chapter Twenty Four

"Hm?" He lifted his head as I peeked around the back corner, my brow creasing. In his lap sat several photo albums, one of which he had flipped open.

"Where did you find these?" I asked quietly, stepping forward to sit next to him on the floor. He pointed to a shelf in the back corner.

"Hidden behind a couple of boxes," he said. "You were cute as a kid."

"Were?"

"You aged nicely," he said sweetly, his hazel eyes sparkling. "A nice glo-up."

"Shut up," I blushed, looking down at the pictures and flipping to the next page. There were dozens of pictures of me as a baby, with both my mom and dad, most of which were taken either near or in the water.

"What were they like?" Drew asked. I shrugged as my fingers brushed over the pictures, letting out a small sigh.

"My mom died when I was barely a year old," I said. "I didn't know her. Dad...he was my best friend."

A lump rose in my throat and I swallowed, flipping a few pages and smiling. "That was my first time surfing."

"You weren't surfing, you were standing on a board."

"I was two years old," I defended, shoving Drew's shoulder lightly. "Give me a break."

He laughed as I closed the book, picking up the next album. I was a little older in this one, maybe seven or eight, and most of the pictures were either of me and Dad or taken by Dad.

"We loved the water," I said, letting out a slow breath. "We spent every moment at the beach. It helped that Dad owned a shop down here, because he could work while I was surfing."

"So that's why there's a random little window in the back room," Drew said with a laugh. I smiled widely.

"Exactly," I said. "I would look up after catching a nice ride and see his eyes through the window. Always smiling. His eyes were always smiling. And he'd give me a thumbs up before disappearing back to work."

I flipped to the next page, laughing slightly at the image. "Oh no."

A bout of laughter escaped Drew and he let out a wheezing breath. "What is on your head?"

"I made it," I said. "It was a crown. Made out of seaweed."

"It's disgusting. The green liquid is dripping onto your white shirt."

"Dad loved it," I shook my head, unable to contain my laughter. "He told me it was beautiful. Said I should make one for every worker at the Shack."

"Did you?"

"Yep. And he made them all wear them for a week."

I met Drew's eyes and we both burst into laughter, the good kind that rose from my stomach and warmed my chest. Once we had calmed down, I flipped through the next couple of pages before freezing on the last page of the book. It was a simple photo of me and Dad, standing in the sparkling sand, the sea stretching beyond us.

"This one is my favorite," I said warmly. "He gave me my first real surfboard. One I could use in competitions. And I remember him telling me that he was proud of me, that I would do incredible things. He knew the water called me, and he never held me back."

Drew remained silent and I took it as a sign to continue. "I remember when he pointed out to the water and said, 'See how far that stretches?' And I said, 'Forever.' And he told me, 'That's how long I'll love you.'"

My words cut off and I leaned my head into Drew's shoulder, letting out a deep sigh. The deep ache that had rooted in my chest when he died ebbed slightly, but I felt a strange warmth, a sense of comfort as I relived the memories.

"I miss him a lot."

"He sounds amazing."

"He was," I said wistfully. I suddenly leaned up, pressing my lips into Drew's quickly. I pulled back again and he opened his mouth to speak when we heard the bell jingle above the door of the Shack.

"I got it," Drew smiled at me and stood. "You can put these away. Or keep looking. Whatever you want."

I gave him a grateful smile and flipped a few more pages in the album as he left the room. My brow creased as I noticed a piece of paper sticking out of the back of one and I pulled it out. It was a simple white envelope, already previously opened, the edges slightly worn.

I pulled the packet of papers out of the envelope and scanned the typed words, my brow furrowing in confusion. Realizing what it was talking about my eyes widened and I looked up suddenly, shock swirling in my chest. I hopped to my feet, walking out into the main room of the Shack just as Drew said goodbye to the customer and they left the store. He turned to face me, his smile shifting slightly as he took in the look in my eyes.

"What?"

I shook my head, my mouth open as I held out the letter. He took it from me, his brow creasing as he read through it before he looked up.

"Is this saying..."

I blinked, nodding slowly and leaning against the doorframe. A smile rose to my lips and I met his eyes.

"You turn eighteen in a week, Lindsey."

"I know," I said, looking at the letter again before smiling up at him. "And once I do, the Shack is legally mine."

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